A honeybee works a purple coneflower, one of the native wildflower species included in the Feed A Bee bulk seed mix provided by Ernst Conservation Seeds.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – As part of its ongoing commitment to honeybee health, Bayer CropScience has partnered with Ernst Conservation Seeds to provide bulk seed to individuals and organizations that have pledged to become Feed a Bee partners and dedicate land to the establishment of pollinator habitat.

Feed a Bee partners will receive a pollinator seed mix from Ernst Seeds that includes wildflowers that bloom from spring to fall, providing important nutrients for pollinators all season long. Some of the most popular pollinator attractant plants in the mix include slender mountainmint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium), wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) and purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). The seed should be planted according to USDA Pollinator Program guidelines at a rate of 4 pounds per acre.
“The collaboration with Ernst Seeds is an integral part of our Feed a Bee initiative,” said Dr. Becky Langer-Curry, manager of the North American Bee Care Program. “Their participation in the campaign will help contribute to acres of bee forage that we’re aiming to help establish across the U.S. this year.”

“We’re proud to partner with Bayer CropScience in the Feed a Bee program,” states Andy Ernst, vice president of Ernst Conservation Seeds. “This ambitious initiative has already seen a remarkable response from groups and individuals who want to improve and increase native habitat for pollinators. With the program still in its early stages, we believe it has tremendous potential to benefit pollinators on a large scale nationwide.”